Brick-kiln pollution threatens farming in Chittagong

With brick kilns sprawling all over the places in Chittagong, sometimes in utter disregard to the law, there is a growing concern over its negative impact not only on the environment but also on the agricultural output in the region.
In a recent investigation, it has been revealed that out of more than 400 brick kilns in Chittagong, nearly 200 are operating illegally, and these do not have the required environmental clearance certificates.
Bricks are being manufactured using the age-old 'drum chimney' method, and the Department of Environment (DoE) is totally incapable of taking any corrective action.
The DoE had given a notice in local newspapers in November last year, asking all brick kiln owners to convert their kilns into modern environment-friendly kilns as required by law.
Although the initiative was taken by the DoE to modernise the kilns within June this year, it has been alleged that the initiative was limited to the newspaper notice only.
Zafar Alam, a director of the DoE in Chittagong, said they had conducted drives and also shut down a number of kilns. But, the owners of these kilns subsequently take the matter to the court and manage to operate the kilns again.
Alam also said they have been able to close 11 more kilns that were set up near residential areas.
A recent report on brick kilns in Chittagong also found that soil from river banks and also from agricultural lands is being used in these kilns because of a shortage of soil required to manufacture bricks. This has resulted in enormous damage to agriculture in the region.
Prof Dr Mohammed Jashimuddin, a director of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science at Chittagong University, said the soil that is used for this purpose is called 'top soil', which is very fertile. Continuous uses of this soil in brick kilns lead to fertility deficit in the arable lands and with the passage of time, these lands lose their agricultural usefulness totally.
Particular damage is done to the production of boro crop, said Dr Alak Pal, an associate professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Chittagong University.
Damage is also inflicted on the soil as its micro-organism is getting destroyed and the water-table is also being adversely affected, Pal said.
It is also illegal to set up brick kilns within three kilometres of any residential area, upazilla headquarters and fruit gardens, but this law is flouted rampantly.
Jashimuddin said the fuel regulations are not adhered to and the carbon emission is so high that it affects the ozone layer and the local environment as well.
He said carbon gets accumulated in residences and also trees, which affects the productivity of fruit trees in the vicinity.
Pal said the risk of people being affected with respiratory diseases increases because of the type of coal and other fuels used in the brick kilns.
Alam at the DoE in Chittagong said whenever they receive any complaint about brick kilns operating illegally, they carry out drives.
He, however, cited manpower crisis in his department which slows their work in enforcing the regulations.